Depressed fibromyalgia patients are equipped with an emphatic competence dependent self-esteem.
Employing a recently developed questionnaire we studied the self-esteem structure of 61 female fibromyalgia (FM) patients by comparing them with i) 40 healthy psychology students and ii) 37 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Depressed FM patients (n=36) had a high need to gain self-esteem through competence and others' approval combined with a low basic sense of self-esteem. In this regard they differed significantly from the healthy controls who had a more equal amount of the two types of self-esteem. These patients had also a more demanding and "hard-driving" self-esteem structure than either control group and exhibited a lower self-assertiveness and less emotional candour than the healthy controls. The non-depressed FM patients did not display this self-esteem pattern. In conclusion, FM patients are probably not a homogeneous group. Furthermore, we suggest that an emphatic competence-dependent self-esteem is one vulnerability factor which, in proper genetic and environmental conditions, increases susceptibility to fibromyalgia and depression.
Johnson
M
M
Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Paananen
M L
ML
Rahinantti
P
P
Hannonen
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept